Journal of the Korean Housing Association ISSN:2234-3571(Print) 2234-2257(Online) 한국주거학회논문집

The official residences, initially provided for public officials dispatched from Seoul, continued to be used even after implementing the direct election system, despite no longer being necessary. In the early 2000s, there was a growing public opinion to abolish official offices funded by taxpayers. From 2002 onwards, provincial governor and mayor candidates began pledging to return these official residences to the public. As a result, 25 official residences were transformed into public facilities in the 2000s, and 45 official residences have been converted into public facilities following the central government's recommendation to abolish them in principle at 2010. The decision to renovate these official residences for the public was driven by their historical value and financial considerations. However, due to the lack of renovation guidelines, there have been cases where even culturally significant buildings have been damaged during the renovation process. Therefore, this study proposes basic guidelines for renovating official residences into public facilities. First, this study analyzes official residences that became public facilities across the country. After that, detailed analyses of official residences used by provincial governors and capital/metropolitan mayors were conducted, comparing data before and after renovation. Based on the findings of these analyses, this study aims to propose effective renovation methods for government buildings that prioritize their preservation and utilization as public assets.